August 13, 2018 12:57pm EDTAugust 13, 2018 12:57pm EDTBaseball, English, MLBThe ball was signed by 11 of 12 living members inducted in 1939, a who's who that was missing only terminally ill Lou Gehrig's autograph.Baseball Hall of Fame(Getty Images)

The autographs were collected by White Sox third baseman Marv Owen, who "(u)pon his return home with this souvenir of a lifetime … stored the ball in a fur-lined glove in a safe deposit box," where it was kept until he died in 1991, according to the auction catalog description:

"The ball remains today as stunning as it was on that June afternoon in 1939 after Owen walked it around to each Hall of Famer and asked them to sign it. Its most astonishing trait is the convergence on one side panel of what can be called the “Holy Trinity” of baseball icons: Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner.​"

"The sheer greatness of this ball is simply unrivaled," SCP Auctions president David Kohler said in a statement (via ESPN.com). "Its historical importance compounded by the impeccable provenance and state of preservation elevate it to singular status as the most important and valuable autographed baseball in the world. The final price certainly proved this."

The identity of the buyer was not made public.

The previous auction record for a signed baseball was one signed by Ruth that sold for $388,375 in 2012.